Brazil’s odd liberalism

Liberalism has become a part of mainstream politics in Brazil. The term is evoked not only by its most fervent defenders – and detractors – but also by a large group of politicians who proclaim themselves “liberal” without actually championing liberalism. Of course, it is fair to say that defending a doctrine without actually practicing it is business as usual in Brazil.

Back in 1936, Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda (Brazil’s most celebrated historian and father of the great singer Chico Buarque) penned the now famous quote, “Democracy in Brazil has always been a regrettable misunderstanding.” He elaborates on this idea in his book Roots of Brazil^[1], a must-read for those who want to gain deeper insight into the formation of Brazilian society.

But why would democracy be a “misunderstanding” in Brazil? It’s because democracy is founded on the notion of having societies built on fairly impersonal and objective relations. However, Brazilian society was founded on personal and emotional relations – which molded what Hollanda calls the “Brazilian cordial man.” By “cordial,” he meant a people operating...